Out of Pocket
by HammerHunter
Summary: A Hunter raised to the game by her Mentor has been sold to a poor, vulnerable village on a lake. It's her job to keep them safe and use her hunts to make them wealthy. It's...quite the job. However, things get a touch more complicated when the Monsters she encounters just are not on the books...
1. (0) A New Home

My mentor is a phenomenal Hunter; if he says that I'm ready to Hunt on my own, I should believe him. As the boat rocks over the sea, I think of all the beasts that could be pushing it from below. I think of the Lagiacrus, the winding serpent of Lightening, or the Plesioth, a fish I never intend to visit any time soon. The sailors of the ship slapped my back and congratulated me on my 'Graduation', but my Mentor had just nodded and shipped me off. I guess he knew I was terrified.

The sea funneled from a delta, from delta to brackish channels, and finally to the tributaries of Lake Munai. The Village was small from a distance, but as we got closer it didn't grow much in size. No wonder they requested a Fresh Meat Hunter. I was all they could afford. My stomach pained. Tonight there would be a feast, true, but tomorrow, I knew that if I didn't hunt, I wouldn't get meat.

That's when it all sank in. These people were relying on me just to survive. I abandoned the bow of the ship and stole away into the hold. I wanted to go back, go home, and I could think of was my Mentor waving as he traded me for a bag of gold with the village's seal on it. To go home is to go here. I found a stick to chew on until I was recruited to unload the ship.

The chief of the village stood at the head of the table. Others stood with him, likely his council. He stood in silence, thinking about words and which he was going to use. He stared at me so long that I felt compelled to stand. Everyone chuckled, and he smiled.  
"You are young, like my daughter's son, and yet you fight for us." Only a Chieftain, or a loving King, could have a voice like his. My body relaxed, but my mind stood at attention. "We know your experience has only begun, but we plead with you for your heart. We know that if you defend us with your heart as well as your mind, then there will be no fear."

No one sat down, for some time. I had no response. I had no point of reference, but this didn't feel normal. At least, these people were alive with a dream, an aspiration. This was a new village, I already knew that, but now I could see how young, how desperate these people were. In this moment, the heart they requested, was theirs.

"Hunter, enjoy this feast. Tonight you rest, and tomorrow, we show you your new home." The Chieftain sat down. After he was comfortable, his council sat. I took my seat after them. The feast before me was not the feast I imagined. It was a normal meal, for my mentor. I ate it, knowing it was going to be my last proper meal for some time.

I was going to have to learn fast.

That morning, I was surprised to be well rested. The bed was more comfortable than the one my Mentor had provided, and I was perplexed. I began to wonder if my Mentor gave me a lower quality bed on purpose. The morning didn't seem so...antagonizing, with a good night's sleep supporting my mind. I stretched, I blinked, and I left my little hut to find that most of the village was still asleep.

The Chieftain's Grandson, we had been briefly introduced, was standing vigil at the edge of the marketplace. He stared into the valley, fighting sleep. I didn't get a good impression of him the night before, aloof and incapable of smiling, but at least now I had an idea why. A seed of respect was planted.

"Hey, I'll take it from here." I stood there, forgetting his name. He stared at me, and I realized he was doing the same. I smiled. "Go, rest. I can stand to observe the terrain. Hell, I need to."

Without speech, he nodded that of gratitude. He slouched into a drowsy stumble, and weaved his way to his tent. I still believe I heard a thump of him falling asleep. I smiled. I turned to the valley and recited my Mentor's words.

The valley was patched, spots of tall grass along streams and the dying grass under the sun. Reeds sprung up in the corners, and I noted them. I could not see what they were from a distance, but I could guess. I could see the steep hills that opened up into caverns, and clusters of life in little pockets formed by rocks and monster-made walls. It was a beautiful place. In the hours of dew, it was quiet, and yet I could still list the monsters that would love a place like this. I recited them to myself and made a note to prepare for them first.

"And here, as you remember from last night, are the kitchens. We're hoping to establish trading routes with some nearby villages, get some proper ingredients." The Chieftain's wife, still full of pep and step, had taken over the tour. "How are the primary gatherings going, girls?"

"Alright. The Jaggis are still giving us trouble, though."

"We were so close to getting at one of their kills, really. I'm not surprised they ran us off. I would, too."

"Jaggis?" I furrowed my brow.

The woman turned me aside. She frowned. "Yes, Jaggis. And Aptonoths. Don't laugh. They may be small to you, but we don't have your experience, your training. Especially these girls. They can beat a man out of the kitchen, but a Jaggi yells back, and they panic."

"Well, I guess I'll go cull their numbers, then. The girls have to stay out of the area, though." I looked at my feet so that I could think. "They'll be more aggressive until they learn the new order. Might take as long as a week or two."

The woman smiled, and gripped my shoulder. "See, you'll be fine. Now, let's show you to our resident Blacksmith. Now, so far he hasn't bitten anyone, but I wouldn't try your luck..."

I had two weapons from my Mentor, an old Hammer, and and equally ineffective Bow. They were better than rocks, though. The people were awake, and trying to work, but mostly watching. I sat at the Vigil Point, sharpening. Right now the Jaggis were going to know my face and how much it was going to hurt them. Today was a Hammer Day.

I turned to the village, I bowed, I smiled and I slung my hammer across my shoulders. They needed the confidence more than I did. I turned to the valley and I slid down the slope toward the Nest.

Today was First Blood. It helped that I was just a little bit hungry.

On the way to the nest, I made a mental map. I found patches of herbs, I found honey, a little den of Altaroths. I thought I saw a Spiderweb, too. That I went for, but it turned out to be saliva on the stem of a plant.

The nest of Jaggis was loud. I found my way there by sound, and so the latter half of the valley was not mapped as well as the first. They noticed me rather quickly, and perhaps the Kitchen Girls were more of a threat then they let on- the Jaggis were raring up warning signs faster than I expected them to. They already felt threatened. I tried not to smile, I really did, but it just cracked up and I slammed my hammer down.

_What, not used to me warning _you_?_

The Jaggis ran up, flanking one another to cover their sides. They fanned out, blocking my path into their grounds. I dragged the hammer to my side, to the back. I leaned. The Jaggis didn't want to know what I was doing. They wanted me to leave. They found out anyway.

**THACK.**

The Jaggi spun out, stumbled back into another Jaggi, hissed, and squealed. The others didn't give me the opportunity to lean, now that they knew what it meant. The Hammer is a hard thing to lift, at first, but once you get the momentum going, strength going up doesn't matter. A hammer is about reigning in, directing, and knowing when to bend.

To the left, a swing coming down, hitting the Jaggi in the knees. A toppled Jaggi, we've got one. Bending the momentum to the right again, a Jaggi took the blow to the jaw. A bitten tongue, we've got one. From the upswing to the right came a crash down, a luck shot to a shoulder. The hammer slammed against the dust and bounced back up. The Shouldered Jaggi took the second hit to the chest. A fresh meal, I've got one.

The crowd thickened. They were learning to swarm, and give me less room. I had to shove and glare, barrage with short hits and stomp a bit to get enough space. The momentum was hard to win back, but I earned it. To clear my air once and for all, I worked off a charged spin, getting many of the Jaggis low on the chest. Winded and distanced, they began to back off.

_No, that's not quite what I want._

I dropped my hammer to my side, then walked to the dead Jaggi. I held it up. I waited for a vengeful soul to strike. A Jaggi never fails. One to the side, drop down to the head. That makes a meal for tonight, and enough to share. Another Jaggi roared its little screeching roar and ran forward. One blow to the left chin, and I should have expected it, another Jaggi behind. The one blow to the left chin swung back, a bit over my shoulder, and beaned the little sneaker in the face. Stagger, stagger, one extra slam and down. Three. The one courageous enough to stand to my face turned and fled. The other Jaggis followed suit.

I took out a fishing net, bound up the three Jaggis and set back over the wide valley. I was glad that the fight was short. I had a long walk, and wasn't quite sure of the way back.

I knew, sitting at that counter, eating the leg of my first independent kill, that this was a beginning. I knew that, with the wind, the grand monsters would come. The lake was beautiful and the land had something to offer. The village had gotten here first, but it would not be the last. The wind was blowing from the south, over the water, and that made me more nervous than anything.

The Chieftain beamed, eating the other leg, sharing it with his wife. I had a cutlet saved for his Grandson. The kitchen girls giggled that I might be looking for his affection. I shrugged. I didn't know him, and I wasn't going to lock out opportunities. The Chieftain's wife laughed, heartily, at my expense. The other villagers, the fishermen, the farmer's hand (who was the first one to last longer than a week), and the children celebrated my first victory on the valley. It was a small toast.

I went to sleep, now assured that I was home, with a soft bed and a full tummy.


	2. (1) The Great Jaggi

One of the men of the village volunteered to go gathering with me. He was weary of running minor errands for the Blacksmith on his own, and would be glad for the company. He was a man who was genuinely resourceful. He had stolen a bit of the Jaggi's hide from my first hunt, and with the tools from the fishermen, tattooed a basic map of the valley into the underside of the skin. He said he made it as a gift, gratitude that I would come all this way just so that he can focus on raising his family.

He had been nominated to be Hunter, had my mentor refused their offer. He told of how he was the best at some of the games the village hosted during celebrations, and so based on that, the people had nominated him to be the best at slaying colossal beasts. He was no happier about the nomination than his wife, and if his daughter had been old enough, she would have protested, too. He was, however, a wonderful map maker by experience.

"I really needed this." I smiled. I figured it was the best way to give my thanks. "I kinda got lost, yesterday."

"We know."

"Oh? How?"

"You dragged the net through a special mud, that only...pools in a certain part of the valley. Thankfully, it's not toxic or anything. It does, however, stain."

"So that's why the fisher let me keep the net."

"At least you were able to get the smell out. We didn't know that was possible."

"You'd be surprised what I am going to get covered in, while I'm away." I chuckled. The chuckle dwindled into a groan. I wasn't sure if I could get the proper weed out in this field. I would have to sift through the lake to find a substitute. "There's just a lot of tricks to know."

He pointed out herbs, and even some whetstone spots that he had discovered on his errands. He mused that the tattoo of the map wasn't big enough to mark all the good gathering spots on, and this I would have to simply remember. I joked about erasing some of my tricks from memory to learn a new map. He begged me to write them down first.

My days became routine. I would cover the Grandson's post and look out over the valley. I would memorize it. I would see where beasts were going, what they were up to. I would have my breakfast, usually fish, then go down and gather some resources from the fields. On the end of my trip, I would claim a couple of Jaggis, two on most days, my record after the second week was five. I would bring back Bhanabras, Aptonoths, herbs and honey.

On my third week, I was rewarded for my steady deeds with a little fire pit. It was brilliantly made, and it folded. On that day, the Blacksmith and I became friends. I started sharing his grocery list with the Mapmaker, and on days I focused on Jaggis, he made sure I got my share of things from the fields.

I still kept my eye on the wind, looking for signs of a larger menace. I saved up resources, I wove traps, I told the village about the monsters that were likely to come. They told me that they didn't need to worry- I was here for them. After a while, I began to believe it.

That morning, when I came to relieve the Grandson, he was wide awake. He was staring at the Jaggis' corner, weary but wary. He looked at me, and relaxed just a pinch. He pointed to the Jaggis and their shadows. I nodded. I was warmed up for Jaggis; I was warmed up for what I knew was coming.

"It is more than likely a Great Jaggi." I explained to the Chieftain and his council. "To retaliate against being culled, they have fed one of the stronger of their numbers a special blend of meat and, well, spit. There's more to it, but the end result is a much bigger Jaggi. One that acts as a Queen."

"What does this mean for the village, Hunter?" The council were visibly nervous. I was, visibly, not. This comforted some, and this strained others. The Chieftain was stone-faced. He was focused on listening, not predicting. "Are we in danger?"

"The Great Jaggi will not come up to the village. However, it will demand more territory, and will start harassing other beasts. More importantly, it draws attention to the Jaggi and their home. That's my main concern."

"Attention from whom?" The Chieftain asked. His chin rested on his fingers. It looked painful, with both his hands and his face so tight around the bone. "Do you mean it will draw other great beasts?"

"Yes, I do."

"So instead of helping us, you have caused a bigger problem. If you kill this one, they will make another, and more monsters will come." One council, apprehensive to stand, pointed a finger. "If we leave it alone, they will ignore us. Tomorrow morning, I say you go back to your city."

"Do not be so hasty." Another leaned back. "Large Monsters are risky, yes, but they can be defeated. We know this to be true. The Hunter's Guild is swimming in gold and ribbons. If these large monsters come, we simply stop them before they become a problem. Then we sell the bits and bobbles of the beasts. They are a source of great wealth. Risk, and Wealth. Isn't that the nature of things? Is that not how the world turns?"

The Chieftain dug his eyes into my own. "Can you defeat this Great Jaggi?"

"Yes." I answered. That was certain. I had done it before. That day, my mentor watched and made sandwiches while I struggled to learn how to use a bow. Today, I would come home with a Great Jaggi and a longing for sandwiches. "I certainly have enough resources gathered up to make the fight much easier. If you like, I can even catch it alive."

"Those are bold words." The wary of the council sneered. "Do not be cocky."

"True, fine." I folded my arms. "That would be a bit much to drag back, with it kicking and squalling. No, I will gather my things, and I will kill it."

"I agree with the Hunter-girl. I want this village to prosper, and if we let these Jaggis parade with a Queen, it will only turn to trouble. Soon they will be raiding us in the night and I refuse to let a hissyfit of a lizard take my breakfast from me."

After some murmuring and minimal counter argument, the matter was settled, and I was finally free to have my own fast broken. I had a special recipe made up, that day. The Kitchen Girls spread the rumor that I was headed off to a bigger battle, and the whole Village was astir before I got down to the Vigil Point. The Grandson nodded to me, for good luck, and then nodded off.

I felt good about this. I felt confident. I was headed to my first proper fight and I felt ready.

~~~~~~~

I climbed to my vantage point, hammer in hand, and peeked out over the grounds for the Jaggi. They were riled, agitated, and I knew that dance of theirs. They were waiting for their adversary. They were waiting for me. I peered into the mouth of the caves- they Jaggis were pouring out, each more energetic and violent than the next. Then one came out, and it was bleeding.

Suddenly, my confidence waned. The Great Jaggi would not attack its own. It was a neck wound, closer to the shoulder, almost a warning bite from a predator than a attempt to kill. The next one had a nearly shredded tail. It was wailing. The Jaggis grew more excited, more angry, and then one of them sensed me.

They rallied beneath my vantage of a rock, and had they learned to go around the rock, I might have been trapped. Instead, they refused to leave their nest. Instead of focusing on me, they kept looking back.

"What is it, boy?" I asked the Jaggi. "What are you so afraid of?"

More Jaggis poured out of the cavern, all of them significantly wounded. Wailing and thrashing, attempting to throw off their wounds and the memory of making them, the Jaggis scattered across the dirt and dust. I climbed closer to the edge of my rock, and peered harder into the caves. Unable to be seen, the beast decided to come out to meet me.

What I was looking at was not a monster I had seen before. The monster was fuzzy. I considered it being a cousin to the Lagombi, but instead of long ears in the tundra, it looked more like a rat, bathing in dust and whatever filth it could find.

I wasn't sure if I was staring at something new, but until then, I named it the Ratombi. It was fitting; The Thing That Wasn't the Logombi, and Looked Like a Rat; Ratombi. The teeth on the Ratombi were the most prominent feature- they were massive, ragged and at the moment, had a touch of Jaggi skin caught between them. Brown fur, possibly with split ends, was matted with the meatspit provided for the one Jaggi chosen as Queen. I now noted that none of the Jaggis out in the yard had been eating it. If the chosen one was still inside the cave, it was unlikely to be growing into a Great Jaggi.

Though it wasn't the beast I had intended to fight today, I wasn't going to come home without one. I waited for the Jaggis to pool about the Ratombi instead of my rock and I slid down. I let loose my Hammer and leaned back. For once, the Jaggis seemed happy to see me. They backed off the Ratombi. I ran in.

The Ratombi didn't roar, as I expected. It dropped on all fours and ran to meet me. I dodged the charge with a roll to the left. The Ratombi slid past, and I used my roll to power my hammer. I swung up against it's rump- slamming it just below the tail. The tail was longer than my hammer, than I was tall. It had no fur on, but a good amount of ribbing. Best of all, in my end, was that it was vulnerable. As my hammer peaked, I let it fall, right into the center of the long, ropey bit of the Ratombi. The sound was caught between a yelp, a howl, and a hiccup. I smirked. I was bringing home this tail today.

The Ratombi pivoted, screeched, and then lunged at my face with its teeth. I swung the hammer up, but without the momentum, it didn't go as high as I wanted. I managed to bump it in the chest and tip off the aim. The Ratombi still nailed my upper arm, and now I was the one howling. It was worse than a simple bite. It felt like an infection. Gunk and spite in slimy form drizzled into the cut from its teeth, and stretched as he pulled back up. The saliva off the creature was off-coloured, I realized, and I wondered if I was going to die this day.

In response to the screech, I heard a rapid pattering. About the size of dogs, the cave mouth regurgitated purple rats. They were, logically, the offspring of the Ratombi, but they were thinner, and a striking colour. They didn't seem like they would grow into the Ratombi, not properly. My spine wriggled in place. The Ratombi Babies spread out and struck the Jaggi, The Ratombi locked eyes with me. This time, I was ready for his face. I switched to my other hand for the power of my Hammer, and I swung up. I slammed my hammer into it's ugly muzzle. It reeled.

"Ha!" I should not have let out a cry. The Ratombi took it as a challenge. It stood up on its hind legs, then slammed down with its tiny forelegs. I stumbled backwards to get out of range, and my hammer dropped on one of its toes. Staring into its face, I knew I had to take out the teeth first. I had to break them, before they tore me up.  
Lying on my back as I was, I picked up the handle with my hands, and supported the head of the hammer on my feet. With it's face so close, I rammed the hammer into it's long teeth, once, let it recoil, twice, let it roar, and then as it lunged in to steal one of my legs, a third time. The Ratombi scrambled backward. I imagined what it might feel like, having my teeth hammered. My skull began to ache. I shook the thought and got to my feet. I swung my hammer low, building momentum like a pendulum, back and forth, to and fro, rocking as I walked up to the Ratombi. It screeched at me, and the cry hurt my ears, but I was not going to let it back me off.

I threw the hammer back and guided it back to my front. The hammer hit on a diagonal; hitting the side of the teeth against the gums. The face off the hammer hit the long of them, spreading the shot through the tooth. As I had hoped, the teeth fissured along the top. It wasn't a clean shot, but at least it broke both teeth at once. The Ratombi panicked. I rolled in, picked up the teeth and shoved them in my pocket.

I rolled back, and drank some medicine to sooth the effects of the first bite. I needed my arm back, and death by spit was not my dream death. If I was going to die by a monster, I was going to be stomped into the ground. The Ratombi couldn't hope to do that and so I was determined to bring it home.

The Purple Babies tuned into the main event. They cried for their leader, and the Jaggis took it as an opportunity. I was surprised to find myself rooting for them. The fight was turning in our (huh, 'our') favour. The Jaggis were digging their tiny teeth into the backs and the bellies, working as a team. I almost shouted orders to them. I almost forgot that I had my own fight on my hands.

The Ratombi was keen on reminding me. It charged forward with its forehead on the front. I rolled, this time to the right, and tossed my hammer into its side. The hit pushed it off the charge, stumbled into a dance in attempts not to topple. I followed the strike with another into the flank, then up against the back of its leg, and down over the base of its tail. I had to run to get away from it's pivoting. It lunged with its face, but without its teeth, the bit wasn't as effective. The teeth had given it range that it was quite accustomed to, and now it had to adjust. The puzzle of enemy distance was something I was not keen on it learning. I rolled around to its opposite, and magically warped my hammer around to slam up against the side of its head. Right by the ear, I struck it, and the Ratombi's eyes popped.

With its hearing so clearly prominent, I almost danced. I looked around to the Jaggis at the scrap. If it was sound that it relied on, I would provide it. There are a myriad of sounds I know well, and one of them was the cry of the Great Jaggi. I had certainly heard it enough times. I took a deep breath and I did my best to imitate it. Just as I planned, the Jaggis took to the cry and responded with their own.

The sound was high pitched, unnerving, and for the Ratombi, insufferable, inescapable and impossible to squelch. The Purples certainly tried to quell the din, but the Jaggis only grew louder. They bit harder, those little dinosaurs, and their behavior grew more erratic. The din began to soften after a moment, and all I had to do was imitate the Great Jaggi again. I patted myself on the head before returning to the Ratombi. The creature was suffering. I slammed the hammer against its head again.

I began to work on its hind quarters to wound its speed, and keep it from powering up on its larger legs. I wanted that tail. After some elbow work, and some winning spins, the leg in the left of the Ratombi began to give. The beast wasn't about to limp, but I knew it was going to slow down. At the same time, it was growing desperate. I dug the spike of my hammer into the middle of its tail and I ground it in. Ratombi's squeal was lost in the cries of the Jaggi. I realized I would not be able to hear well for the next couple of days.

It took a few more strikes and pummels to weaken the tail. A grove, then a break, and then it was a matter of breaking skin. It would have been easier with a blade, but I was never good with them. I had to break away from attacking the tail to make a few strikes on the head. Without the big teeth the bites of the Ratombi were not as ferocious, but I was still wary about being bit. That saliva was worrisome, and I was sure that some of the other teeth could still break skin.

A couple of cracks to the spine left it stunned, and I finally had the freedom to bring hell down on its tail. With a few wacks, assisted by a strong tug, the tail broke free and the Ratombi's howl broke the din of the Jaggi. When the Jaggi noted the break of the tail, and the current state of their invader, they began rejoicing. The noise got louder. I considered taking up a language for my hands as opposed to my ears.  
The Ratombi turned to me in agony. It face pleaded for mercy. It's heart wanted to leave. It seemed lost and afraid. I took this pause of the beast to slam it in the face. Shocked, and a touch stunned, I finished the blows, one into another, smashing in the Ratombi's face. The Jaggis quieted to watch, and I had to repeat my Great Jaggi impression (which was improving) in order to start them up again. The Ratombi couldn't handle the beating. It couldn't handle the sound, the pain, and the fact that it just might die.

The Purples abandoned their fight against the Jaggis to focus on me, but the Jaggis were too excited. The Jaggis now had the collective confidence to fight them off, proceeding to eat some of the Purples. One or two got to me, but not for long. One Jaggi tossed up a Purple to snap it between the jaws. I pet its head as a thank you, and I believe we were both surprised at the interaction. It gave me an odd look, then looked to the Ratombi. It was trying to leave the dusty yard, limp by limp. The Jaggi blinked at me.

_Go after it._

It didn't have to look at me twice. I ran up, held my hammer up, and slid past the Ratombi's face. I slammed the hammer into the crown of the beast. It looked into my eyes, whimpered, and dropped. It gave its last breath as its skull broke beneath my hammer.

I looked up, and the few Purples left scattered off into the field as fast as their tiny legs could carry them. Only a handful managed to escape. The Jaggis stared at me, waiting to see if I would start to beat on them, now that I was finished. I walked into the crowd, some still eating Purples, and I grabbed the Ratombi's tail, and shoved it into my belt. I looked the closest Jaggi in the eye. It backed up. I smiled.

I took out my net, wrapped the Ratombi up in the net, a tight fit, and began to drag. It was heavier than the Jaggis, and I prayed the Mapmaker Man would meet me half way. I realized that if I was going to work with him so much, I ought to get his name.

Damn, that thing was heavy.


	3. (2) The Camp

"Hunter, this looks nothing like a Jaggi." The Doubtful of the council folded his arms. "You said it was going to be a Queen Jaggi."

"True, it is not a Jaggi, but now it is dead." I replied. Perhaps I put too much sneer into my tone, because the councilman smirked. "This beast and its offspring were trying to run the Jaggi out of their own territory. Had that happened, they would have raised a Queen for taking other territory- ours would be a prime spot to them."

"Then it is good you brought it back." Another of the Council beamed. "Is this the Azuros?"

"No." I frowned. "I've never seen anything like it. It seems to be related to the Lagombi, though."

"I have." One of the children of the tribe poked his head into the crowd. "It was a lot smaller. I saw it and a bunch of little purple ones swimming in the lake. It must have eaten a lot."

"Well, it certainly ate a good amount of Jaggis." I sighed. I could leave them alone for a bit. I thought about the Purples that escaped. If that meant more of these things, maybe I should hunt them down. "We need to send information about it back to the guild. Where's Hide?"

"Who?"

"The Mapmaker."

"Oh, uh, right." The councilman turned his face to the village. "Where is Torano? Has anyone seen Torano?"

The man came through the flap of his hut, and the crowd make some semblance of room for him to get through. He met them at the center, where the beast lay. It smelled. He looked up. "Uh, hi."

I looked him in the eye to get his attention. "Do you think you can take a piece of its hide, and make two sketches of it, the same way you made my map?"

"Uh, I don't really draw Monsters. I could try, though."

"Excellent. If it looks close enough, we can send it to the Hunter's Guild. Perhaps they know what it is." I smiled. "The other copy is for me. I want to make a log of the Monsters I don't recognize, so I can remember them, learn them, and fight them more efficiently in the future."

Hide smiled. "Well, if that's the case, then I'll set about it. I'll head down to the docks for ink and bones. Unless you want me to help you carve this, first."

"I could use the help, yes."

The Ratombi was a great change of meat from a month of Jaggi. I considered foregoing my visits to the Jaggi Camp, but I decided against it. I continued gathering, and when I made it as far as the Jaggi, I stood there. I watched them. I stood vigil for about an hour, and then I would leave. Just because I got rid of the Ratombi, didn't mean they were rid of _me_.

The Ratombi proved to be worth the kill. The bones were a great deal thicker and stronger than the thin bones of the Jaggi, and worked much better with the Aptonoth Bones for building. The Blacksmith was thrilled. He ended up claiming the teeth I had broken. The fur was thick and warm, and once thoroughly washed, perfect for bedding. The Chieftain's Wife was asked to test it for quality. We never got it back. The tail, however, stayed with me. I hung it in my tent with spices and preservatives as a trophy. We ate the meat for days.

It took some time for the tattoo of the Ratombi to be sent to the Guild. It took even longer to get a reply back. The day it finally arrived, the ship was decorated with one red sail. The kids pointed it out first, and said that a new Hunter was coming. The parents corrected them, saying we only need the one. I hadn't realized that I had come down on a ship with a Red Sail (somehow, score for me), but I learned that day that every ship on Guild Business had one.

"I never believed we'd see another Red Sail, after you came in." The Chieftain's Daughter, master of the Quiet Step, sneaked up on me. "They don't use it for every willy-nilly delivery. Not everything is Red Sail Business. This must be big."

"What do you mean?"

"We're about to find out."

The sailors came in, eager as anything to find me in the crowd. Apparently, since I sent the letter, I had to be the one to open the reply. The Chieftain's Daughter ushered me to a tall rock, where square announcements were made. What if this was private mail? I stared at the Crimson Parchment. If it was private, it would be a less visible colour. I shrugged, and broke the wax seal.

_We have searched our records for a beast that matched your included imagery, and sampled pelt. However, nothing was found in the database that matched the description and provided sample. _

_ We now congratulate you on your discovery of a New Beast. _

_ Your suggested name of Ratombi has been accepted by the council. The enclosed pouch contains a currency voucher, equal to 50,000z. You may exchange it at any port or licensed changer for your local currency._

The village was silent. Then the village rejoiced. Without a money changer anywhere nearby, not for a few days on water, the voucher became a safety deposit that was kept in the Chieftain's Treasury. Here, by their own village, was a new beast. Already, everyone felt more wealthy.

"Do you know what this means?" The Double Councilman dug a frown deep into his face.

"If we find more, we can sell it all for exorbitant prices!" One of the fishermen cheered. "Hunter! Seek out the young, the ones that you said escaped. Watch them for when they grow!"

"No!" The Councilman was not on the rock but he did not need it. His voice quieted my thoughts and grabbed my attention by the short and curlies. "This means that there are more monsters out there, ones no one knows about. There are monsters that can do things that no one has seen before. This Hunter is only valuable for her knowledge. Without it, she is as dead as the rest of us. We need to abandon this village and find somewhere better explored."

The villagers looked to me. They were looking at me to lead them. I figured I do the smart thing and look at the Chieftain. He smiled back at me. The villagers looked back and forth.

"Do you think you can learn these beasts and conquer them?"

I paused. I took a deep breath. The air felt cold. "I...know that at one point, we knew nothing about any beast. I know that at one point, we were at the mercy of Fortune and Death. From our experiences, we have learned a great deal about the Beasts and Monsters we know today. I have been raised on the techniques that transcend species, and have taught me to live even in the strangest of circumstances."

The village started to beam with pride. Then they noticed how long my pause was. They began to doubt, to fear, and on my behalf, to worry.

"If I cannot defeat each and every one of these mysterious monsters, then at the very least, I can pave the way for others who can. From now on, I will take extensive logs about each fight. I will do the best I can to learn each beast, and send reports of my findings back to the Guild."

The people were saddened by the mixed feelings of the answer, but inspired all the same. After a moment of reflection, one of the kids ran up to me, and hugged me. I hugged him back. The people cheered. The Chieftain kissed his wife on the forehead.

"Then we will stay to support you." The Chieftain raised his voice over the crowd, only to be swallowed by the din that followed. He waited for the village to lose their breath. "Starting today, we will gather the resources and tools to build a camp in the valley, to serve as a base of operations."

It wasn't long before the Jaggi population sprang back, and so my duties of culling their numbers returned. They went back to hating my presence, and things, more or less, returned to normal. Some of the older boys in the village were granted permission to learn gathering out in the field, so long as either Hide or myself were with them. They were always eager to go, anything but housework or a Farming Apprenticeship, and they were all hoping to find one of the Purple Babies of the Ratombi.

During this time, the campsite was slowly built. It was constructed in a small corner of the valley, halfway between the far reaches and the village itself, along a wide brook. It was a perfect spot, with a long tree towering over the space and providing shade. The tree, in truth, was less like a tree and more like a collaboration of vines- reaching out and then reaching back down to the ground to spread more roots. It was a maze of branches and vines, large leaves and surfaced stones. It took days to cut through the vines to make space for the tent, the fire pit and the boxes, but the thick vines were perfect for spokes to build things into. It was going to be a exquisite campsite.

While Hide was cutting into a particularly thick vine, with the help of the old farmhand, when they noticed that some of the vines had been severed at the bottom. They hadn't been completely cut through, not yet. The vines' cuts were still wet. Hide pushed the boy away, out of the maze of branches. "Go find the Hunter. Go, now."

The boy didn't need to be told twice. He wove through the cut branches and at daylight, broke into a sprint over the stream. He had to run halfway to the Jaggi's dirt-grounds to find me. When he did, he collapsed onto his knees. It took him a minute to speak.

I gave him some water and some well cooked steak. He finally got up. "Hide said that you have to go to the campsite. Something was eating at the vines. I think it was one of the Purple Babies, but I didn't see any."

I nodded. I waited until he finished the meat, and then we started running. Thankfully, I was more experienced at running, and so when we were close, the boy dropped into a drag and made way for the brook. I bounded a cross and tripped on the vines. It took a second to get to Hide, deep into the tree. He was sitting, clapping in irregular patterns. I supposed that it was to scare off anything that might return.

"Look," He started to say. He pointed to the bottom of the vines. "See?"

"Yeah. Two thick groves, really close together. Long teeth. Definitely something a tiny Ratombi would do."

"Then we need to flush it out before we finish this camp. If one is hiding here, there might be more of them."

"Seems reasonable. They were all together before. Let's give the kid a few minutes to get his strength back, and then we'll send him back to the village to get help."

"Alright, fair."

It was a fifteen minute wait, when the boy came back to see what was going on. They gave him instructions to find the Fishermen, if he could, and tell them of his suspicions. When he turned to go, I grabbed his shoulder.

"Go into my house, and in my box, there is a net trap. Bring that back to me. Be careful with it- you don't want to get caught. Understood?"

"Yes, Hunter."

The wait for reinforcements was surprisingly short. They brought a barrel to wheel the boy in, and the trap he brought along. I stood outside the camp to meet them. I greeted them with a finger over my lips. The men nodded. The boy smiled, and copied me. He gave me the Net Trap. I bowed with thanks, and then took him around to the back of the tree. I showed him how to set up the trap. He was elated, learning how to trap a beast.

"Isn't this too big for a Purple Baby?"

"Yes. It is meant for much larger monsters. However, they only come in one size. Besides, we saw signs of a baby, but we might be in for the full Ratombi itself, if we're unlucky."

"We're not unlucky. You have your hammer."

"Let's hope that's how this goes."

The group of men came through the cut of the tree. They stood with Hide, and waited for me to return with the boy. "What's your plan, Hunter?"

"Chase them out this way. I have a trap set opposite us."

"Hopefully its not too big." The boy frowned. I hadn't wanted to say it, but the boy was right. "I don't want them all over the place."

"True. But if possible I do want to catch them alive. I want to know as much as I can about them."

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"I can keep it here at the camp."

"We'd have to halt construction for some time."

"Better than bringing it back to the village, I say. If they don't get caught, kill it."

"That's the plan." I smiled.

The men knelt down by the vines, and then took a deep breath. They waited until the count of ten, for me and one of the other men to get into position. The boy was sent across the brook, to keep safe. Hide stayed in the tree.

Then they hollered. They howled. They made so much horrible noise I thought they were dying, just for a brief moment. Then, like clockwork, the Purples burst forth from the far side of the tree and right into the trap.

Or rather, right over the trap. They were too light, and even in one bunch, they did not weigh enough to set the trap. Careful not to set it ourselves, the man and I did what we could to close off their running space. I slammed down with the hammer. He outright kicked them in the side. We counted four, out of breath and seriously beaten Purples. They had grown, since I had seen them, but not to the size of the Ratombi. Neither had they turned brown. They were just as purple as before. How long did it take for a Ratombi to mature?

I took out my net and I wrapped one up. No sooner had I gotten it around the hind legs that it whipped about and snapped at my hand and the netting. It was too weak for a full on fight, but it wasn't weak enough to give up. I lunged back, partially reflex and partial surprise.

"Scrappy little f...buggers." The boy had come around the tree to see them.

"They don't look like babies." The boy kept a wise distance.

I stood up. I took the net off the one Purple and moved to another. I kept going until the last one, who was too tired and too close to death to care. "Well, they're not full grown. When I'm done wrapping this one up, throw it in the barrel and take it back to the village. Don't open it until I get back. I'm gonna make sure these three are dead."

"Are you sure you wanna kill off the species?" The boy frowned. "I mean, what if they're actually...good?"

"Just because we only saw these, doesn't mean they're the only ones." Hide came around the other side of the tree. He beat the dirt off his knees. "They had to come from somewhere."

The boy frowned. "I guess that makes sense."

The men took the Purple Baby and shoved it into the barrel. They wheeled it back, and the boy walked with them. Hide left some time after, and I was left to carry the three dead specimens back to the village. I hoped their bones were as good as their adult form. As I dragged them back, I considered upgrading my hammer. Ha! The first hammer made from Ratombi. I would have to speak to the Blacksmith about it in the morning.


	4. (3) The Lie

"Well, I suppose I could start working on a hammer. Sad thing is, none of these beasts have a skull worth makin' in the head. Good bones for hilts and things. I think I could make a great sword out of these. You like them?" The Blacksmith was doing an impression of someone who was pleasant, rather than trying pleasantness on for size. He gestured to a Great sword he had already made from the bones of the Ratombi. He forced a smile, but gave up on it rather quickly. He huffed.

"Well, perhaps a bow would be better from these parts. The Ratombi _was_ built a lot like the Lagombi, so it should have some good tendons." I suggested. I was trying to be helpful. That wasn't the reception.

"If you think you can do my job better than me, fine!" The blacksmith threw up his hands, and slid down his hammer to me. "_You_ build yourself a new weapon. Did yur precious mentor teach you how to do _that_? Can it withstand the blow of a Uragaan? HM?!"

I opened my mouth. My 'precious Mentor' had warned me about opening my mouth. I conveniently forgot about it. "Fine! If you want to make nothing but Great Swords, since I don't see anything else here, I'll take one. Then, when I die because its not a weapon I can use properly, they won't blame me. Oh no. They will not blame their precious hunter. They will blame _you_ for making a bad weapon with the materials I worked _so hard_ to give you."

I didn't want an answer. I didn't want a new hammer, nor a bow. I wanted to leave. That's what I did. I turned my back on that stubborn goat of a smith and I went back to my hut. I spent the rest of the day building things out of my resources. I spent the day making things I could actually use.

To myself, I wondered if I would have to learn how to use the Great Sword to survive.

Dinner was a bit of a treat. They used some spices bought from the Guild's market. Though they used little, they made each pinch count. The girls were no one to be out against Jaggis, but the Jaggis couldn't be beat in the kitchen. A Jaggi was delicious, especially with a twinge of Saffron.

"This is amazing." I beamed. "What's the occasion?"

"Oh, no occasion." They had weak smiles. "We just-"

"We're testing the recipe. One of our festivals is coming up soon, and since Jaggi meat is a big thing here, we want it to be at its best."

I then realized it was because they didn't want me angry with them the way I was with the Blacksmith. I...I felt _bad_. As much as the Blacksmith deserved his verbal thrashing, I didn't want others thinking they were in danger of a bad temper, either. I smiled my best at them. They took it as a sign of grace.

"What kind of festival?"

"I hear we are having a celebration." The Chieftain had called me into the tent rather late, and I was blinking more frequently. His head was rested on his knuckles. "Tell me, what is this celebration about?"

"The Girls, in the Kitchens, they said it was a traditional festival to celebrate the water of the lake." I knew the girls were lying when they mentioned a festival, but on the same hand, I figured the town could use one. The more the girls made up to make the lie sound genuine, the more excited about a festival they became. "Well, clean water in general, but catered to our lake. Something about a legend of the Sun trying to poison the land with its heat."

"Ah, but the water of the oceans reflected the sun back into the sky before it could scorch the land." The Chieftain smiled. "Do you know how the legend goes?"

"Well, no." I admitted. I thought the story had been made up, too. Perhaps in every bit of fiction, there is a bit of truth. "I didn't grow up with it. I think we came from different tribes, this village and mine."

"This village is your village, now." The Chieftain replied. I nodded. He nodded. He leaned back into his chair. "Then this story shall be yours to hear. Sit, and I will tell you the story myself. Then, when you bear children, you can sit them down and you can tell it to them. The old tribes are no more, but their stories are still told. Sit, sit."

Long ago, after the Earth was young, the Sun grew jealous of its beauty. It decided that it could scorch the world, and make it barren like the other planets, so that it would no longer burn with jealousy.

But, as the sun came close to kiss the world with Death, the life of the planet sprung up into the waters. The planet did not want to die, and be barren like the other planets. It saw the Sun, and cried out, "How can I survive?"

Then, the waters of the seas cried out to the Earth. "Do not despair, oh lovely planet, for you are alone. We will pull a dead planet for you, and put it between us and the Sun. The Sun won't be able to reach us, and no harm will be done."

So the Earth praised the Sea, and the Sea set to work. It pulled together, forming tides, and it reached out into the spaces, and found the Earth a moon. They set it between the Earth and the Sun.

It blocked out the likeness of the Sun, but it could not stop its reach. Around the moon the Sun came, its long tendrils pushing aside the moon. The moon spun around the planet, around and around, and the Sea could only hold it tight enough to keep it close to Earth. The Sun came closer.

Then the Sea cried out for the Earth's forgiveness. Though the Sea had failed, the Earth did not hate the sea. "Do not be with sorrow, dear Sea. It was not your doing, that the Sun has hated me. I shall always remember your kindness and your strength, when I am a barren planet."

The Sea could not accept this for Earth. The Sea rose up over the planet to meet the Sun. "I will not let you do this evil thing. You are powerful, but you have so say over me."

The Sun laughed, and drew nearer. However, when the sun tried to scoop up the Sea and cast it away, the Sea reflected the Sun's light back into the sky. No matter how much light the Sun cast down on the planet, the Sea did not become barren.

The Sun became afraid because of the Sea's determination and strength. "What are you, that you might rebel against me so? Are you stone, who fears nothing and knows nothing? Are you a Moon, who is dead and therefore cannot be killed? What are you?"

"I am Water, and I am the Sea. I am the Daughter of the Earth and the source of her Beauty. You cannot remove me from Earth. You cannot vanquish her beauty."

The Sun looked at the other planets, and saw that none of them had Water. None of them had Beauty. The Sun grew afraid, but still in awe, and without a word, fled back into the stars before the water could vanquish it.

Though the Earth had been saved, the Sun's light had damaged the surface of the land. The soil was dry and burnt, and the creatures of the Earth had died. Though the planet was still alive, the Earth was in mourning.

The Sea had one last idea. It crept up onto the land, its very opposite, and rested on the land. The Sea began to sink into the land, and it became afraid. Still, it would do anything to see the Earth live.

Then, after a time, long before the Sea could crawl over all the Earth, it noticed that in some parts, not all of its water would go down. Its bitterness and sorrow were absorbed by the Earth, and it became clean. It became a new Water, and the beaten and the bruised of the land drank of this water, just to see it.

Then, through hope, and love, the Miracle of Life occurred. The Earth dried her tears and looked upon her surface. Life had become new again. Furthermore, she was more beautiful than ever before. The Sea, for there was still much of her, danced in her bed. There were no words that could be said.

"And to this day, we celebrate the Ocean's gifts of Lakes and Rivers, Brooks and Streams, which have given us life when all was lost." The Chieftain finished. He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. "It is not tradition to have a festival, as this is a somber celebration, but perhaps it is time for this to change."

"With the Campsite finished," I began musing. "Our resources are no longer tied up. There haven't been much trouble from the valley, either. We wouldn't suffer from the taxes of a Festival."

"You think like one who leads." He said. I looked up to meet his eyes. "That is good. As you have noticed today, though you are not a Chief, many respect your word as law. I do not mind it, but if you misuse it, it will harm my people. My people revere you. Do not betray them."

I nodded quickly. I looked at my feet. "I am sorry, my Chief. I meant no harm."

"Not even Monsters mean harm, I find." He smiled. "Do not hang your head; not tonight. We must go out and meet the people now."

"But...it is late?"

"The people are excited. Do you think they are going to sleep? No, we must tell them to rest so that we can work on this Festival when the sun rises. Otherwise, we will have trouble in the night. Come, help me walk, Hunter. I am tired, and I am old. This is not a good combination after sunset. Or before."

By the time I had finished my piece of the Morning Vigil over the valley, the village was explosive with joy. There were banners hung from tents, special plates planned, and business was storing their goods for the week. The greatest change was that the Fishermen were planning a long trip out to the nearest port. They were taking what was left of the Ratombi and its young to be traded for festival fare, and whatever tools they could find.

"I'll be keeping watch over the village. I don't want anything to crop up during the celebration." I offered. I turned to my hut to get my hammer, but Hide caught my shoulder. "What's up?"

"No can do. Chieftain said you're not to wander off." He seemed pained. "Before anything else, you have a to-do list. The festival plans require everyone to pitch in. No self-assignments until its over."

"But what if-"

"You nailed the Ratombi before it caused trouble because Jaryin stood vigil over the night and did his job. He saw when something was amiss and reported it to the right people. If something is wrong with the valley, he'll find it. That's why he was chosen to stand Vigil. No one knows the valley like him."

So it was that I had no argument, and I accepted the long list of things that I was supposed to do. I expected them to be Hunter things, or things where I stood around and used my hammer for useful purposes. This was not the case. I was asked to do things that were...mundane.

I was tasked with helping this kitchen girls. The list said 'help them cook', but 'helping them cook' became sweeping and scrubbing and the occasional taste testing. The taste testing, however, made the whole obsessive cleaning thing worth it.

The strongest task, and the one I thought most about, was the unloading and reloading of the ships. They had to take off all the things they kept on the ship, from garbage bins to spears. Then they had to sort what they removed. Then they had to put the select items back on, and arrange it in a way to make room for the things that were going to the Trade Post. Then, someone made the point that this might be a good fishing opportunity to get fish that we might not normally have, so more stuff was added to the boats. This made the boats to heavy, and so things had to be removed...

Despite all the work that had to be put into the festival, everyone glowed. The closest thing they had to a proper celebration was the feast from when I first arrived. They said it was good to eat, but even better to party. I saw some of the families trading nights of dealing with the children, so that a secret brew could be made in the night. I asked what the brew was of, though I was sure I knew, and they said I wasn't old enough to be knocked on my ass that fast. I made the point that I had been thrown by monsters and survived. They laughed and walked away. Apparently, I wasn't having any of their sacred brew.

With the fishing ships finally sent off to the Trade, they announced that they would return in four days, and on the fifth dawn, the Festival would begin. The Chieftain made a ceremony for sending them off. Then, at the last moment, which apparently was known to everyone but me, I was thrown onto the last ship. I stumbled to find my balance, and then turned to see the entire Village waving away.

The village was small, and to my surprise, it didn't get much smaller as we sailed away.


End file.
